[Leica] IMG: Returning to the Library

Thu Nov 30 16:06:29 PST 2017

one of my great joys in retirement has been a return to reading for pleasure

I've been an inveterate reader forever. But, over the past too many years, I've been too busy work-reading to sit and enjoy a book. I am fixing that thanks partially to my recent irresponsibility (retirement). Since it was a new year, and I was in Baltimore first-visiting my first grandchild (Norah), I chose a Baltimore tome. Just finished. So--

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#1 Role Models by John Waters (autographed and acquired at "A John Waters Christmas" in 2014) It's an ode to those Waters finds admirable and influential to his life.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#2 Just finished Winter Goldfinch by my friend Jayne Davis Wall (autographed) -- It's a Southern novel. Jayne is also a wonderful painter

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#3 A Pleasant Gale on My Lee by my friend John Morgan (autographed). It's childhood reminiscence of his life on the Pamlico Sound and Outer Banks

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#5 Robert Capa -- Images of War. A recent gift from a friend with a curious stamp on title page: "Property of the Army Attache Paris, France"

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#6 Kinky Friedman -- Armadilloes and Old Lace
Kinky is one of the genius, Renaissance men of our day.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#7 Russian Summer by Norman Spinrad
It was science fiction that made reading a joy for me. Spinrad is an old favorite.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#8 Tom Robbins -- Skinny Legs and All
My favorite writer on metaphysics and religion, a man of great joy!

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#9 Paul Duncan — Stanley Kubrick, The Complete Films
A nice collection of anecdotes and analysis of one of the greatest filmmakers. Includes lots of behind the scenes photos from the films.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#10 Wassily Kandinsky & Franz Marc — The Blaue Reiter Almanac
A classic of modern art from 1912. Kandinsky and Marc invited thoughtful pieces on the emergence of modern artists and its ties to ancient and primitive art.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#11 Leslie Charteris — The Saint in Miami
Kitty picked it up at her Gran’s house a couple of weeks ago. The first of The Saint books I’ve read. Don’t know why, similar to James Bond novels that got me through high school, not to mention the ‘60s TV show I was very fond of. Fun, adventure “vacation” reading.

Published in 1940, it was no surprise to find The Saint fighting a Nazi fifth column operation in the USA. Clearly a piece aimed at pushing the US to join the Eurpean Allies in the new war.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#12 Paul Hadley Davis — Parallel Allegory
The Story of a Journey Across the Pristine Continent of a Lost Planet

An autographed copy of a novel by a friend. Paul is a musician and (recently) retired university chemistry lecturer. May be considered scifi, but perhaps better perceived as a self exploration our journey through life and its lonely truth.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#13 Mitch Albom — Tuesdays with Morrie
Thank you, Doug Sliker, for making me get of my ass and finally read this sweet, lovely book. I always respected Albom for his sports work in Detroit and his presence on ESPN’s late great Sports Reporters. Learning to die teaches you to live.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#14 Randy Poe — Skydog - The Duane Allman Story
One of the greatest guitar players of all time. It’s a story of being driven.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#15 Sam Stephenson — Gene Smith’s Sink - A Wide-Angle View

I have known and respected the author since he was in high school here when I worked for The Washington Daily News. This book is a bit of a surprise to me in that it is NOT (to me) a standard biography. Having not kept myself properly educated, I’m not quite sure if I understand exactly the approach on Sam’s observations on one of photography’s flawed giants.

As best I can figure, “A Wide-Angle View” of the title refers to observing the people who orbited and intersected the life of the great documentary humanitarian rather than just telling stories of what he did. Sometimes they tell you directly about Gene, other times it is their own story which shines a light in a corner of Gene’s world. I find it a satisfying addition, especially if you know a bit about Smith in the first place. Photographers and cinematographers may call it an “establishing shot.” Sam shares many rich tales from Smith’s universe.

Gene Smith’s Sink strikes me as very filmic. It is rather like the documentaries one can see these days in which the film-maker includes himself and his education as an intrgral part of the production. It’s a great tool for giving the reader a direct experience of discovery. Very satisfying.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#16 Just Down the Road… in Our Own Words
Many oral histories of communities in Gates County, my home. It was collected by the Gates County Historical Society in 2009. Some fun stories, but with more begatting than Genesis.

Uncle Ric's Irresponsible Reading List:
#17 Kinky Friedman — The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover
With Kinky, just as Lone Star Beer, too much is not enough.

ric

> On Nov 30, 2017, at 6:09 PM, Tina Manley <tmanley at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks, Jim!  I love to read, too, and am always looking for good books.  I
> will certainly try Margaret Truman's.  Almost all of my books are digital
> these days, though, on my Kindle.  I can adjust the size of the font and
> the brightness of the page to match my reading ability - although that has
> improved since cataract surgery.
> 
> I used to read a book a day, but I'm down to about 2 a week now.  I fall
> asleep earlier!!
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 5:19 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net>
> wrote:
> 
>> From the age of 10 until I left home for college, I was a regular customer
>> of our local library.  Now, in my 80s, I renewed my library card, now
>> digitized, and returned to reading as a pastime, particularly during
>> unfavorable weather.  Many of my choices have been mysteries, which I
>> enjoy, and I have been particularly drawn to to those written by President
>> Harry Truman's daughter, Margaret.  They are set in the Washington, D.C.
>> area, which she knew well, and, though she is reported to have used the
>> help of another writer, the style and detail is very well done.  Here is
>> the one I just finished reading.
>> 
>> http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/20171130-PB307224.JPG.html
>> 
>> Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.
>> 
>> --
>> Jim Nichols
>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tina Manley
> www.tinamanley.com
> tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
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